Pregnancy: Z is for ZZZZZZZZs

Z is for ZZZZZZZZs. Sleep is very important while pregnant. All I wanted to do the first trimester was sleep. This made it difficult to write my professional report (essentially my master's thesis) because I kept dozing off.

The second trimester was better, I had more energy, but I would still get home from working 9 to 2, eat lunch, and take a long nap. My last trimester I became a baby. I got up, ate breakfast, and went back to sleep for a couple of hours. If I did that, then I did not need an afternoon nap. If I did not go back to sleep, then I ended up sleeping for a few hours in the afternoon. Then I would not sleep at night.

Ah, sleeping at night, that was a dream (pun intended). I always took at least three trips to the bathroom, on a good night. During that last month (what I had of it), I found it impossible to get comfortable, my body just felt wrong and I was so very hot. Admittedly, it was one of the hottest Junes on record in Austin, Texas.

Getting enough sleep is important for health and especially important during pregnancy. It's ironic that it is difficult during the last month. My mother kept telling me it was my body's way of preparing for parenthood and the lack of sleep during the first months. Yes, she was right. Sigh.

Pregnancy: Y is for Yeast Infection

Y is for Yeast Infection. One thing never-been-pregnant women tell pregnant women is "At least you don't have your period for nine months."

What do they know?

Pregnant women get yeast infections, hemorrhoids, heartburn, acne/mask of pregnancy, swelling and cankles, a belly, and get extremely hot quickly. Among other things.

Granted, I would have been pregnant much earlier in life had I known I would not have bad acne when pregnant but have beautiful skin. Best skin of my life. Really. And incredible nails that grow incredibly fast. These two things do not make up for me giving up my breakfast taco craving due to heartburn.

Pregnancy: X is for Examine

X is for Examine. Or rather, X is for "Sherri is not creative tonight." I meant to go through the dictionary and look for a good X word, but I've been feeding a newborn and am tired.

You get examined often in pregnancy. Mainly while visiting the doctor. Another way is people look at you and try to determine if you are pregnant or not. I got this a lot because I am small and my baby was small so people were never really sure until I hit about 7 months. I was accused of not eating enough. Trust me, three bowls of cereal every morning is enough.

So, pregnancy has many examinations.

Pregnancy: W is for Water

W is for Water. Pregnant women should drink water because it keeps things flowing--in other words, helps prevent constipation. People should drink water in general, everyone knows that, but pregnant women should be sure to get extra. It also helps increase the amount of amniotic fluid that the baby is floating around in.

Then, once you have a baby, there is more water. If you had an IV, the fluids have to leave your system somehow. Nurses at the hospital will bring you a small pitcher of water (maybe wrapped in a diaper) and you are to drink all of it within three hours.

Breastfeeding is the same way: drink water.

Bottom line: drink lots of water.

Pregnancy: V is for Version

V is for Version. An external version is a procedure that is done when the baby is breech and the doctors push on the mother's stomach and try to flip the baby into the head down position. It is done at around 37 weeks and works about 50% of the time. Sometimes a version can induce labor and other times can result in a c-section.

That last bit, about the c-section, that's what my external version resulted in on June 30. The doctors were able to move the head just a bit, but then it seemed stuck. When his heart rate dipped very low the doctors took it as an indication that there could be something else going on inside and recommended taking him out rather than taking a chance on something going wrong during the last couple of weeks.

So Little Nate was born 9:34 AM, June 30. 6 lb, 2 oz. 18 inches.

Pregnancy: U is for Unprepared

U is for Unprepared. I've had 9 months to get ready for this little man yet I feel highly unprepared, like I packed shorts and tank tops for a trip to Australia in July.

I've washed and folded tiny clothes, read and earmarked dozens of books, and learned how to install a car seat. And I panic at the thought of weird things, like taking him outside without sunscreen because I don't have an infant sun hat.

Part of the reason I feel unprepared is because books and people's advice tend to conflict with each other. One book says introduce a bottle at two weeks, another four weeks, and a woman at La Leche League says absolutely never. One book says sunscreen should not be used under 6 months, another says that advice is old and it should be used from day one.

I've attended a La Leche League meeting, had childbirth classes with breathing exercises, and taken a child care class. I've watched The Happiest Baby on the Block and own Baby 411.

Declarative statement: I am prepared. I just pray that I don't have this child tomorrow.

Pregnancy: T is for Time

T is for time. Time Time Time. It's what everyone wants more of in life. Being pregnant means waiting for the time the baby comes, incubating for a long time, and preparing for the time you have a baby.

The scary thing is that you don't really know when that time will be--unless everything is scheduled beforehand. But then, something could happen before that time.

It's good to be prepared because something could happen at any time.

Pregnancy: S is for Sonogram

S is for Sonogram. At this point, almost 37 weeks, I've had 5 sonograms. The first one was to look at size and guess due date. That was in December and he was the size of a raspberry and looked like a grape. The second was 20 weeks for anatomy. He is definitely a boy. The third was the Wednesday before last to look at his size since he is a smaller baby. This Wednesday (the only one I don't have any pictures from) was to look at the amount of amniotic fluid, his kidneys, and to see if he was still breech. Today's sonogram was to see if he was still breech and to assess us both for a version.

Most pregnant women don't go through all of this. Maybe three sonograms is the norm. I'm lucky!

The first one is only sort of exciting since the fetus does not look like much (below). See? Not much.



The second, the anatomy one, that one is fun. There, you can see details like eyes and toes. Of course finding out the gender is also fun. I'll refrain from posting the picture of his, uh, male anatomy. Let's just say it's obvious. But this, below, is just cute.


The later sonograms have not been as fun, partly due to there being less room for the baby to move around resulting in less exciting pictures. Here's one from today.


At this point, I think I have one or two more sonograms. There will be a sonogram machine at the version procedure. And I have a biophysical profile scheduled for next Wednesday--a biophysical profile is a non-stress test and a sonogram. Of course, next Wednesday I could have a baby instead of a sonogram as sometimes a version brings on labor. I still think he needs to incubate a little more.

Pregnancy: Q is for Questions

Q is for Questions, because being pregnant means I get a lot of them. What are you having? Do you have a name? How far along are you? Do you have a room ready? Do you have a nursery theme? Cloth or disposable diapers? What do you need?

There are questions from the doctor: Headaches with visual changes? Swelling in hands or feet? Baby moving?

Then, there are my questions: What is a version? Do you really have to weigh me every week? Can I take drugs for headaches/heartburn/morning sickness? Where do I find cheap bras? What size breast shield will I need? Why is this child stabbing me in the side?

Questions I have for my husband: Can you move that? Can you get that? Do you want to cut the cord? Can you just stay at my head throughout labor?

Questions from my husband: Is that because of the cord? What do you know about cloth diapers? What do you need me to do?

And I know the questions will not end upon birth.

Pregnancy: P is for Pee

P is for Pee. Yes, that is slightly crass. Everyone knows being pregnant increases your need to visit the ladies room. It is often one of the first signs. First trimester it is pretty bad. This need is supposed to decrease in the second trimester but friends and I discussed this (at a baby shower) and it didn't decrease at all in that trimester.

Neither the first nor the second trimester prepared me for the third trimester. Goodness, all the time! And it can be PAINFUL. Like he is bouncing on my bladder. It often makes walking hard. And then, AND THEN, I am told to drink more water to increase my fluid intake. Awful.

If I'm at home, I flush ever three, sometimes four, times.

Pregnancy: O is for Open minded

O is for Open minded. That does not look like it is spelled right, but spell check is telling me it is OK.

When discussing labor with doctors, nurses, and friends, everyone says "Be open minded." Nobody wants an expectant mother to walk in anticipating an easy labor, an epidural, or a natural labor. They also want mothers to be open minded about having a caesarean. "It might happen and that does not make you less of a mother."

OK, I'm open minded. I've grown open minded about what my body can do while pregnant (soccer is out, cycling is out, walking is in, sleeping is in). And open minded about the secrets other mothers never tell anyone about (leakage, the mask of pregnancy, fingernails that grow super fast, hiccups, farting).

Yeah, that's all I have to say about it. Be Open minded.

Pregnancy: N is for Napping

N is for Napping. It should be for something else, but I just can't think of anything right now. I've napped twice today. And yes, I slept well last night.

N could be for nesting. I've started making Christmas stockings, made a hanging organizer for toys or diapers, I've made a modesty cover, a nightgown that does not fit my current body, and PJ pants that do fit my body that I will not wear because it is so hot right now.

N could be for nursery. It's almost ready. We now have a mattress. I just want to hang pictures on the walls and get a storage bin for the huge number of toys we already have received.

Today, though, N is for Napping. It will be the same tomorrow.

Prengncy: M is for Money

M is for Money. What else would M be for? Even if money or fiances were not important in a relationship before pregnancy (and the number 1 thing couples fight about is fiances), it suddenly becomes important when pregnant.

Babies are expensive. They don't have to be super expensive though. After all, babies only really need mom for the first few months. However, there are lots of things that are nice to have: it is those things that are expensive, like swings, toys, and diaper pails.

Then there are the things new mothers are suckered into buying.

I've just spend time looking up Dreft. It's the laundry detergent brand marketed to new mothers as perfect to fight stains and be gentle on an infant's sensitive skin. It's also expensive. Maybe I'm missing it, but it does not claim to be free of dyes or perfumes--in fact the baby smell seems to be part of it's brand appeal. Hmmmm. That's something I don't need to spend money on. I have a container of Tide Free for our athletic clothes and a sample of All Free Clear. Those are both cheaper and free of dyes and perfumes. Guess what I will no be purchasing?

Another thing I've not spent money on is clothing. A friend had a son a year ago and has given me most of the clothes her friends gave her and some she purchased. Her first line was "They will be the right size for the right season!" Good, I won't be talked into buying Baby's First Christmas outfits because I already have them. I love my friends.

Other expensive things are more than nice to have: a college education, day care/nanny, and medical expenses (just to start with). OK, those cost money. I don't have a solution. All I know is that in my pregnancy alphabet, M is for Money.

Pregnancy: L is for Lactation

L is for Lactation. Being pregnant, people suddenly feel free to discuss my breasts, or rather, what I will or will not do with them. Wikipedia describes lactation as "the secretion of milk from the mammary glands, the process of providing that milk to the young, and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process occurs in all female mammals, and in humans it is commonly referred to as breastfeeding or nursing." Interesting that the entry has a picture of a cat nursing her kittens.

I just find it curious that people want to know whether or not I breastfeed. How does it impact their life? Why does it matter to them? Note: it's mainly mothers who ask.

It's my choice, my decision--OK OUR decision.

I'm just now beginning to realize that this question is not about me but possibly about them, their choices. Or maybe it's just my introduction to judgmental mothers.

Pregnancy: K is for Kids

K is for kids. Kids are the ultimate goal of pregnancy. Yes, you get a baby first, but she or he will grow older and become a kid.

K is also for kids because I can't think of much right now. I'm too busy drinking water and laying with my bottom higher than my heart. Turn baby, turn!

Pregnancy: J is for Jeans

J is for jeans, as in blue ones. While I love a flirty skirt, I typically live in my jeans. My favorite were my skinny jeans because I could wear them with heels and a floaty top and feel dressed up. Another thing about my jeans is that I get them secondhand at the Buffalo Exchange. This works because I can try on a variety of styles and sizes for a good price.

My jeans lasted--with help from the Bella Band--until the 6th month when the pain of the band pressing the zipper edges into my skin was just too much to bear.

That changed when I needed maternity clothes. I've learned that maternity clothes are not made for petite women. I finally ordered one pair from Old Navy and I am trying not to hate them. NOW I know that I like my clothes to fit under my belly. However, I did not know that when I ordered them. Nevertheless, I refuse to purchase any more.

Suffice to say, I've worn and washed them so much that they have a hole.

Pregnancy: I is for Insecure

I is for Insecure. Being pregnant makes me insecure. I like to do things that I know how to do and being pregnant makes me face the fact that I don't really know how to be a mother. And it reminds me that I've never given birth and will most likely end up in pain being weak in front of people.

On a different note: I've learned how to make great smoothies. Texas is way too hot to be pregnant.

Pregnancy: H is for Hormones

H is for hormones. Hormones play a big role in my pregnancy because they kept me from being pregnant. In 2007 my husband and I decided to get pregnant while I was in grad school. If we timed it right, the child would be born during the summer. It seemed like once we started trying, I kept skipping my period. Every month I thought I was pregnant because I had the symptoms: fatigue, gaining weight, no period and constipation. I missed that I was also very cold, jumpy, and my hair was falling out. After six months and six negative pregnancy tests, I went to the doctor and got a blood test.

In short: Hypothyroidism. Too little thyroid hormone. The good news was that hypothyroidism is easily taken care of with drugs. The bad news was that I was not ovulating. Then came the Femara for ovulation induction. I tried one pill, then two months of two pills, then two months of three Femara pills. So, five months later, I was pregnant. But that is another story for another letter.

I have one more thing to say about hormones: yes, there is crying. I must have cried every other day for the first two months. I didn't cry about being pregnant or morning sickness, I cried for the economy. Suffice to say, crying about the economy did not help me get a job.

Now, at eight months, I cry at commercials and movies. State Farm has a moving commercial out about helping people. When I see a trailer for My Sister's Keeper, it's over. I'm bawling. I caught part of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; more tears.

I am not looking forward to the postpartum hormones. Enjoy the PregTASTIC podcast about hormones.

Pregnancy: G is for Guilt

G is for guilt. Guilt for having some wine before I knew I was expecting. Guilt for drinking some Dr. Pepper. Guilt for wanting more coffee. In other words, guilt for thinking about myself and my desires (for caffeine) before thinking about my child. I know I should not beat myself up about little things. Besides, I just fell off the couch, I feel beat up enough already.

Pregnancy: F is for Fatigue

F is for Fatigue. Early in pregnancy, the first trimester, I could not get enough sleep. Sleep was wonderful to distract me from the morning sickness. Second trimester was a blur of busyness and energy, though there were those days when I came home from my internship at 2 and immediately took a nap.

During this third trimester I'm less tired than in the first, but I tend to get up, eat, and go back to sleep. If I don't do that, then at about 4 or 5 PM I'm desperate to lay down. This could have something to do with the Texas heat.

Paired with this fatigue is an inability to sleep at night. It's like I'm an infant. I don't want to sleep at night, I want to nap during the day, and I want to eat every couple of hours. Oh, and I pee often.